When it comes to public safety, residents want to help. They are willing to be the eyes and ears of the police who can’t be everywhere. If public safety wasn’t important to residents, they would not have filled the American Legion hall to hear from law enforcement officials, and volunteer organizations like the Valley Stream Civilian Patrol and Auxiliary Police units would not exist.

The public can be a valuable crime-fighting tool. Citizens should not be shielded from the details of horrific crime. For their own safety, they need to know what is happening so they can take the proper steps to protect themselves.

We hope that as the investigation wraps up, the police will give the public a sensible answer as to why the Aug. 12 crimes were not reported right away. We also hope that in the future, police will re-evaluate their procedures so that the public is more aware of criminal activity, and can help put the bad guys away sooner.